Yves Carcelle, the longtime chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton, is standing down. He will be replaced by Jodi Constans, a managing director of French yogurt firm Danone.
It seems like a strange transition moving from the world of dairy treats to fashion, but the 47-year-old senior executive won’t be thrown in the deep end. He’ll work closely with Carcelle through 2012, until the esteemed CEO eventually steps aside. Carcelle is perfect for showing Constans the rope as he’s held the position since 1990.
Constans’ appointment isn’t as left-of-field as it first seems, as many luxury goods firms have recently hired senior executives from the world of consumer goods. It makes a lot of sense if you think about it, as the way these luxury businesses are expanding into emerging markets isn’t so different to the way that consumer firms grew two decades ago.
Carcelle will continue his association with Louis Vuitton even after stepping down from the top job. He’ll take on the newly created position of president of the Fondation Louis Vuitton, a new space for promoting the arts. He’ll also continue to serve as the executive of Louis Vuitton’s parent company, LVMH.
I’m interested to see how Louis Vuitton grows under Constans’ care. He’s got big shoes to fill, as Carcelle is credited with making the French fashion house one of the most profitable in the world. Do you think he’s up to the task?
[Source: Business Week]
[Image Source: Sparx 11/Wikipedia Commons]
